Wolverines in South Africa, Day 4: Travels to Johannesburg, Visit to Apartheid Museum
5/7/2019 4:08:00 PM | Football, Features
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The Michigan football program is on a one-week experiential learning trip for its student-athletes in South Africa, which includes stops in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Follow the Wolverines on social media (#UbuntuBlue) and with a daily travel log on MGoBlue.com.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- An early morning greeted the Wolverines as they began a journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the remainder of their visit to South Africa.
The travel party rose between 5:30 and 6 a.m., grabbed breakfast and headed to the airport. Everyone checked in at three designated locations at the Cape Town International Airport and went through security to Gate A10. The group boarded a British Airways B737 almost immediately and took off at 10:02 a.m. for the 101-minute flight to Johannesburg, which touched down at 11:45 a.m.
Upon arriving and gathering their bags, the group bused to the Apartheid Museum for a moving experience chronicling the history of discrimination in South Africa and the struggle required to reverse the course of history there. The museum is broken into two portions, the first focused on Nelson Mandela and second concentrated on the apartheid era.
One of the tour guides, Emmanuel Gumbi, spoke to the group about segregation, the life under apartheid, the political history that divided the country and the transition to democracy in the 1990s.
Players were shown a series of powerful quotes by Mandela, and were asked to pick a colored stick corresponding to their favorite quotes. Then, they placed the sticks into slots outside the display, and the beautiful multi-color presentation was representative of the many ways Mandela impacted the country for the better.Â
The Wolverines enjoyed a light snack during four-hour ride to the game preserve in the northeast corner of the country.Â
Upon arrival at 8:15 p.m., the group was provided a safety briefing before heading to the Boma for a team meal. A three-man drum crew entertained the group at the beginning and a full dance and drum crew performed during dinner.
The Wolverines retired early to prepare for the 4:15 a.m. wake-up call and early game drives in the South African bush.
• Wolverines in South Africa: Day 3
